abilities of genius and learning, which rendered her the most accomplished princess of her age, not availing her among a parcel of ferocious and enthusiastic barbarians, whom even the lyre of Orpheus had in vain warbled to humanize. Brantome, who accompaDyed her, fays fhe was welcome home by a mob of five or fix hundred ragamuffins, who, in difcord with the most execrable inftruments, fung pfalms (which fhe was fuppofed to diflike) under her chamber window: "He! adds he, quelle mufique & quel repos pour fa nuit !" However, it seems there is great juftness and beauty in this image, as the vulgar opinion, is that the mermaid always fings in ftorms.' "This vulgar opinion," I am perfuaded, is peculiar to the ingenious commentator; as, if the mermaid is ever supposed to fing, it is in calms, which presage ftorms. I can perceive no propriety in calling the infurrection of the Northern carls the quarrel of Queen Mary, unless in fo far as it was that of the religion the profeffed. But this perhaps is the least objectionable part of a chimerical allegory of which the poet himself had no idea, and which the commentator, to whofe creative fancy it owes its existence, seems to have very juftly characterized, in telling us it is out of nature;' that is, as I conceive, perfeâly groundless and unnatural. RITSON. LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST.] I have not hitherto difcovered any novel on which this comedy appears to have been founded; and yet the ftory of it has most of the features of an ancient ro mance. STEEVENS. I suspect that there is an error in the title of this play, which, I believe, fhould be -"Love's Labours loft." M. MASON. Love's Labour's left I conjecture to have been written in 1594. See An Attempt to afcertain the order of Shakspeare's plays, Vol. II. MALONE. |